Remember that negative ones will not really be used, or they will be "free", or you get to use them on the enemy. I am not a fan of any of these options.
Großadmiral Swizzle
Browncoat by fandom; Cossack by blood; American by birth; Virginian/Husband/Father by wife; Libertarian by choice; Human by race; Christian by grace.
Negative SAs would be as a consequence of damage and would be played as an event card after the fact - different set and different rules in my point of view.
I feel the rookie/inexperienced card possibilities might fall into their own rule set as well.
In this case I went for ideas that were not OPG (to me those are also events). Some of the potential adds are OP and probably should be avoided but that is why this process exists. I think swizzle was right in calling for a complete list but this is a starting point to begin discussion from.
When making this list, I also wanted to avoid things that are historically earned. Such as determination. I believe we can add tenacity (maybe) but I think determination is a reflection of historical fact for that ship. There are probably a few others that slipped through into the list.
Also if anyone want to add ideas to the list please feel free. I've certainly not liked all the ideas that have been sent in but there have been a few really good ones.
Locally, we came up with using regular playing cards, and gave each one a specific meaning, so we made a Word document explaining them. Each player got 4 at the start, drew one a turn, and could keep only 4 in their hand. While most were SA's ... some were very unique, reflecting "what if this skipper really trained them hard at ..."
- AA gunnery range 2 instead of 1, with 1 less die at that range, this turn. - 2nd gunnery gets one range extra, and -1 die at that range, this turn. - +1 armor for that aircraft squadron this turn.
Since you picked which unit had that as you used it, each card was once-per-game. I can go try to dig them up.
Großadmiral Swizzle
Browncoat by fandom; Cossack by blood; American by birth; Virginian/Husband/Father by wife; Libertarian by choice; Human by race; Christian by grace.
Ok so you said you'd like 8 fleet cards. Were you thinking of adding admirals in as well? What ratio of enchantments to instants were you thinking?
I was thinking for the 8 cards maybe split it: 4 fleet cards and 4 admirals (start small). The fleet cards are part of the build and the bonus should be given as part of the build. I feel the same about the admirals. They effect the entire fleet being played, and so should be part of the Enhancements deck.
The instants idea I feel is the events cards and I think that is actually going to be a separate deck altogether. If both players agree to play with the add-on cards, you may use MANY of them or none of them - just like playing with SWO/Brigs cards. It's up to you as the fleet constructor. However, if both players agree to play with the events cards, both players are on the hook for that additional set of effects to gameplay. I think the ideas are complementary as the Add-Ons are "permanent" for that game, while the events cards represent more OPG SA effects or damage-degradation (NegSA) effects. I think they would work very well together, but through actual (planned) usage they are pretty separate concepts - hence two decks.
Let's say we come up with 72. How would you feel about being able to direct as many or as few of them as you like for your "game deck?" There'd still be random draw rather than being able to stack the deck but it would still increase three chances of getting the event you want.
The average game lasts 5-6 turns. How many events could you play per turn? Per phase?
How big a hand could you have?
To you from failing hands we throw the torch be yours to hold it high. -In Flanders Fields. John McCrea
Let's say we come up with 72. How would you feel about being able to direct as many or as few of them as you like for your "game deck?" There'd still be random draw rather than being able to stack the deck but it would still increase three chances of getting the event you want.
The average game lasts 5-6 turns. How many events could you play per turn? Per phase?
How big a hand could you have?
That idea was mentioned previously. On the one hand I think it's a great idea, on the other, there'll be cards that won't ever get directed. I think maybe a smaller deck of possible cards would help, so maybe drawing them into the deck randomly? I figure the event cards for sure will have to be numbered to facilitate any online play. Then I think maybe pulling 30? of them into a playing deck, but kept random. I don't want to add huge amounts of "lookup tables" or a need to create a lookup table just to play the game.
For Face-to-Face I think one method of play would be with a hand of say 3 or 4 cards. Since the cards (probably) would be a physical reality, I'd know that you actually have cards x, y, and z because you have them in your hand. I think it creates too many double-blinds and known situations to try something like that online.
For online I think you'd "draw" via random number a card each turn. You'd have to use that card by the end of the turn (in the proper phase), but both players know from the very beginning of the turn which card you've drawn. So for example you draw Destroyed Turret to reduce gunnery dice. You have to play it against a ship you damage THIS turn. So if you only damage a destroyer....you play destroyed turret on that destroyer or you lose the card. My big drawback to this idea is as you said a standard game is maybe 4-6 turns anyway. So the two players total play about 10 cards. Meh, most the deck never comes into play. I think that increasing the number of cards able to be played each turn is gimmicky as you'll be constantly be worrying about or dealing with contrived events rather than actually playing the game.
Thinking more on the event cards, not being able to pick which ones you want to use does make it more of a challenge. I'm now picturing one deck that all players draw from according to initiative. That's their card to play that turn, against whatever unit they choose. Some are beneficial, so would be played on your own units, some negative, so would be played on opponents.
So the other deck;
Admirals Fleets Permanent equipment cards
Now, for something like Smoke, I was thinking that it'd be a one off use in any sector that has a DD. So it wouldn't be something equipped to a particular unit, but is only usable once. Were you thinking of having stuff like that in this deck as well? Just making sure I understand what the vision is
To you from failing hands we throw the torch be yours to hold it high. -In Flanders Fields. John McCrea
So with one minor modification (I think these cards will need years for certain equipment related upgrades) I think this "card" is done. This card will be 1939 by year since the enhancement is a skill-based one rather than an equipment upgrade.
Onto the next:
Proposed Title: Damage Control Response Team (help me!) Year: 1939
This unit gains the Damage Control ability: Damage Control - At the end of each turn, you may roll a die. On a 5 or higher, remove 1 point of hull damage from this unit. You may remove only 1 point of hull damage per game with this ability. Unit Type - All Ships (and Installations?). No Subs, Planes, or MTBs Cost DD - 1 point Cruiser - 1 point Carrier, Installation - 3 points BB - 5 points or 10% round down (3 points for Repulse, Sharnhorst; 4 points for Pearl Ships, Warspite, etc.; 5 points for modern fast BB's; 6 points for Iowa class, Musashi; 7 points for Yamato/tsushi; 8 points for Montana).
Justification: This is an OPG SA that isn't as it can be used until it works, so it is always a threat to trigger. Several ships had excellent Damage Control teams or famously patched up even major damage and kept on fighting.
Costing: In reality, this is not terribly useful on a DD, but still possible. It's mainly a Cruiser SA in game as it is now, but it was strongly considered for Temeraire last set. Would be very effecive for both Carriers and Installations however.
Since the BB Hull point (5 hulls becoming 6 hulls and yikes, 6 hulls becoming 7s) are where the most potential for breakage exists, what if we just restricted it to Hull4 or below ships. Cost by Hull points. For Hull 3 or below - 1 point. For Hull 4 - 5 points. Most of your Hull 4's are carriers, but you have overgrown cruisers (VdT, USS Alaska) and undergrown BB's (Moltke, Dunkerque, etc.) that are possible here too. Is that too cheap for the old coastal BB's? (Schwel-Hol, OktRev?)
Quoting the SECOND card idea forward to renew discussion. The more I think about costing by hull point, the more I dislike it. DD's probably aren't going to spend the points for it, so I think it doesn't need to apply to them as a unit type. Most Hull 3's are the cruiser, and adding 2 points to the cost to make a 3 HP cruiser is in line with the costing of the SA when it is the only SA in the kit (SLC) or mixed in (Wichita). But the High-end cruisers like Baltimore or Haguro, or Lutzow or SanGiorgio could easily add the SA and while they are still a cruiser, the cost/benefit is too great. I was worried about the tweener old-school BB's, but for a high enough cost, they come in line with the costs of ships above them (and typically stronger).
So rather than figure by Hull point, we'll base cost on cost. The More I work with the numbers too, the more I think this should be a cruiser-only add-on.